RED makes some of the best cinema-grade camera gear on the market, and that’s a huge reason why the Hydrogen One was a disappointment when it launched in 2018. Now, though, RED is preparing Lithium, a new cinema-quality 3D camera rig which operates using the Hydrogen One as its monitor and controller.

The RED Hydrogen One was first announced back in mid-2017. Over a year later and after a handful of delays, it has finally arrived. The device has always been aimed at a niche market, but after using it for a couple of days, I struggle to say it even appeals to them. Let’s take a closer look.

AT&T invited 9to5Google to a special RED Hydrogen One launch event last night with a keynote given by RED founder Jim Jannard. The evening didn’t disappoint with a moving rags to riches, against the odds history of Jannard’s startup exploits at Oakley, which went public in 1995 and sold out to eyewear monopoly Luxottica in 2007. In 2005, Jannard again went up against the establishment and started the RED Cinema Camera Company, which struck it big in the motion picture industry.

Act 2 from RED is the Hydrogen One Smartphone which, as we’ve seen before, is a gargantuan beast of a specs powerhouse. Its standout features, besides the size, are the 3D front and back cameras and screen, which we aren’t allowed to show you on our lame 2D website. But we can show you some new stuff here in our unboxing…

The Red Hydrogen One remained a mystery for a long period. Who is the target market? How will it differentiate itself as a device first and camera system secondly? Well at the very least thanks to a leak courtesy of Instagram, the entire device has been seemingly laid bare.

Earlier today, we had the opportunity to go hands-on with the RED Hydrogen One. During this 45-minute demo period, we got a feel of the handset and saw a demo of the company’s “4-view” 3D display technology. But even with this limited time, it was clear to me that this isn’t a device that should be marketed to consumers.

Almost a year ago, RED announced the Hydrogen One with a focus on modularity and accessories to serve professionals, as well as a “holographic” display for 3D content consumption. The former feature alone could be a significant justification for why this phone exists, however, what goes unrealized is that RED actually wants to create a consumer phone.